Of Projects, Plays and Percy Jackson
by iRiDeScEnT DrReAm
Summary: "In the blink of an eye my entire world tipped upside down." Annabeth Chase is having a spectacularly bad day. She's found out a shocking secret about her family, been partnered with her archenemy for a school project and been cast as Percy Jackson's love interest for the annual school musical. The only problem? They hate each other to the pits of hell.
1. Prologue

_Yay! Another Percabeth story! _

_I'm taking a bit of time off from my other Percabeth story, because I have a few decisions to make considering the flow of the story. So, to make up for that, I'm starting a new story for all my loyal readers who love Percabeth. _

_I've wanted to write this story for a really long time but I've only just gotten time to do it now. Percy's going to be a bit of a jerk in the first part of this story; but come on, there's going to be no fun if he's a sweet, nice guy right?_

_The fun is in showing his transition to said sweet, nice guy. _

_Happy reading!_

_Disclaimer: Yes, I'm totally Rick Riordan stalking my own fandom and writing FanFiction about characters I created._

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><p><strong>Prologue<strong>

Did I hate Percy Jackson?

If hate meant wanting to throw someone into a pit of wolves, laugh as they got torn to shreds, and then eat popcorn as they begged for mercy then yes, I hated Percy Jackson with a vengeance.

_Hated _being the operative word.

But I'll get to that later.

Percy Jackson was my brother's best friend which meant that I saw much more of him that I ever would have wanted to. Quite frankly, if he had dropped off the face of earth, my day would have been made.

Unfortunately, I have learned that the world is not a wish-granting factory.

The school year had been perfectly normal until a couple of months ago; my home consisted of my pregnant stepmother, my constantly busy father and my brother Malcolm who was a year older than me and a senior.

I was a honour student, head of the drama society, and I had just auditioned for the musical my school was putting on at the end of the year. Goode was a school famous for its art and theatre programs and normally we had talent scouts from Juilliard seated within the audience to see if there was anyone good enough to make the cut.

My future seemed to be set. My life was perfect.

But it seemed that fate had other plans in store for me.

In the blink of an eye my entire world tipped upside down until I couldn't tell up from down anymore. The catalyst of this?

Percy Jackson.

It all started on the 16th of November.

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><p><em>Short, yes. But the fun starts from the next chapter!<em>

_All chapters have been pre-written up to Chapter Four, so the faster you review, the faster you get chapters! The next chapter is already up just to give you a sense of the story and let you decide if you're interested. _

_Till next time! _


	2. Chapter 1

_Hey everyone! I know Percy will be OOC but let me explain it in this way: _

_This is __**FanFiction. **__The characters can be different from what they are. Percy isn't just a jerk for no reason. He has had problems that made him like this, and of course Annabeth will be the one to break through to him. _

_Annabeth will also be OOC, but I'm playing with her basic characteristics. She's smart, she's spunky, and she's independent. And I think so long as I don't take away those characteristics, she will always be the Annabeth we know and love. Oh and in case anyone's confused, this is all in Annabeth's POV._

_Happy reading!_

_Disclaimer: Let's see…I'm not a world famous author, I don't live in Texas, and I'm a girl. Need I say anything else?_

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><p><strong>How It Started<strong>

November 16th started out just like any other normal day.

"Annabeth! Get up, you're going to be late!"

I had often joked to my brother that he could go into business as a personal alarm clock for people who just couldn't wake up in the morning.

He responded by saying the only one who would hire him was me.

My soft, queen-sized, pillow-topped bed was my favourite place in the whole universe; apart from the library and the stage, of course. I couldn't see the sense in ever leaving it, especially not at seven-fifteen on a Monday morning.

I pulled on jeans and a dark blue sweater that I had left over my chair the day before. I had learned long ago that searching through my wardrobe to find my clothes would only make me later than I normally was.

My best friend Piper had been the one to teach me this trick. I had met Piper the very first day of sophomore year; she had joined the drama society and we became thick as thieves.

Yanking a brush through my mass of blonde curls, I threw it up into a hasty ponytail and ran for the stairs while balancing my backpack in the crook of my arm.

The strains of Charlie XCX's _Boom Clap _rang out as I descended the stairs and my phone vibrated, lighting up. I put the phone to my ear, holding it between my shoulder and ear. Glancing at the caller ID, I noticed that it was Piper.

"Hello?"

"Annabeth, it's up! The cast lists!" Piper yelled into my ear. Her voice sounded soft among the bustle of noise around her. Grabbing a granola bar from the counter, I shot Sara an apologetic glance at not being able to stay for breakfast and headed for the door.

My stepmother shook her head and mouthed a _good luck _at me, waving goodbye as I ran out the door to the garage. She knew there could be only one reason that I was so excited this early in the morning.

I unlocked my silver Audi, a 16th birthday present from Sara and my father. It had been a surprise gift, a spur-of-the-moment, impulse buy but I had loved it the second I saw it in the garage. It just felt like it was made for me.

I started the car and just as I was backing out into the driveway my phone rang-again. Glancing over at where I had tossed my bag on the passenger seat, I saw that it was my father.

This was one call I could happily ignore.

My father and I were not quite on the best terms. He was hardly ever home and when he was, our conversations were stilted and awkward. They were mostly polite exchanges, basic questions such as how my day had been, or a brief _congratulations_ for a high score on a test. I had a feeling that my dad didn't like to look at me much because I reminded him too much of my mother, Athena.

I pushed Athena to the back of my mind. Now wasn't the time to think about her.

Pulling over at Calypso's house, I reached over to put my phone on silent mode before honking to let her know I was here. Then I leaned back to scroll through my texts. I had four new ones-and all of them were from my father.

Frowning, I was about to open them when Calypso threw open the door and got in, slamming it shut after her. Her usually cheerful almond eyes were dark and blazing with anger, and there was a stormy look on her face. I winced sympathetically. "Atlas, again?"

"He's a complete jerk," Calypso muttered angrily. "I can't wait till I'm eighteen so I can get out of this hellhole."

Calypso's father was the CEO of Atlas Industries, and he made my relationship with my father look warm and fuzzy. Calypso was the unwanted daughter he didn't have time for, the one he was forced to look after when her mother had died. I knew that he was part of the reason Callie was so outrageous sometimes. The only time Atlas ever paid attention to her was when she made him look bad.

That was how Calypso and I became friends. We both had mothers who were dead.

On that cheerful thought, I pressed down on the accelerator and we headed to school.

* * *

><p>Callie and I were both subconsciously holding our breaths when we approached the cast lists. "Finally!" I heard and Piper rushed up to me. "It's about time you got here!"<p>

"Did you check the lists yet?" I demanded, not bothering with a greeting.

Piper's kaleidoscope eyes sparkled with excitement. "I got Elena!"

"Did you see what part I got?" both Calypso and I asked at the same time.

Piper smiled mischievously. "I figured I'd let you two see for yourselves. Go on!" She gestured to the crowd milling about the cast lists.

Plunging through to the front, my eyes travelled down the list, my heart sinking as I made my way to the end. "I didn't get a part."

"Check again!" Piper called. "At the very top!"

I checked at the top and my heart nearly stopped from shock.

_Annabeth Chase _– Anastasia

Holy hell.

"I got the main part," I whispered in complete disbelief. "I got Anastasia!"

I heard a whoop and Calypso wrapped her arms around me in a congratulatory hug. "I'm the Grand Duchess!" she shrieked in delight. "That means I have to play your grandmother!"

Then she frowned, almond eyes narrowed in thought. "Wow, that'll be weird."

Piper laughed as she made her way to us. "First table-reading next Thursday. Mr Brunner told us he would give us the scripts during class. Do you want to meet up to practise?"

This had been our tradition for the past year. Whenever there was a project we needed to work on-or a play-we would meet up at one of our houses to work together.

"Speaking of meeting up, where's Thalia?" Piper asked, looking at her watch.

"You mean, where's Jason?" Calypso teased slyly, her eyebrows raised.

Piper blushed. "Callie, get over yourself. I do _not _like Jason Grace!"

"Who doesn't like Jason?" a familiar voice asked from behind me and I felt my body stiffen before I slowly turned around. Piper looked mortified, and Calypso quickly jumped in to save her. "Reyna," Callie said firmly. "She was saying that Reyna doesn't like Jason."

Percy looked sceptical. "Interesting."

"What do you want, Jackson?" I asked warily. I had had way too much experience with Percy Jackson to not be suspicious of the guy. He seemed to live purely to torment me.

A mock expression of hurt settled on his face. "Why, is this the kind of greeting you give me Annabeth? And here I was coming to congratulate you."

"Thanks," I snapped. "Now what do you really want?"

Percy's sea-green eyes locked on mine. "To ask you if you wanted to practise, of course."

"Practise for what?"

"The kissing scene."

I heard gasps from behind me but it took a few seconds before his words registered in my head and pure horror rushed through me. Pushing past him, I made my way to the cast lists again, my eyes now alighting on the name that had eluded me the first time:

_Percy Jackson _– Dimitri

Gods of Olympus.

This could not be happening.

I pinched my arm roughly until it began to hurt and that's how I knew: this was no bad dream. I was living my very horrible reality.

_Why _did this have to happen to me?

As I stood there seething with anger, Percy Jackson sauntered up and put an arm around my shoulders. "Hey, look on the bright side," he said oh-so-cheerfully. "You get to kiss me."

That did it.

I snapped.

Flinging his arm away from my shoulders, I turned to him, my stormy grey eyes blazing with anger. "Do you actually think I want to kiss _you_?" I snarled. "Honestly, I'd rather spend an eternity in _hell _than get anywhere near your lips!"

"Hey, your loss," Percy shrugged.

"You are so _insufferable_!" I hissed before turning on my heel and heading straight for Mr Brunner's office.

"Annabeth! Annabeth, wait!" Calypso and Piper rushed up on either side of me. "Where are you going?"

"To commit suicide," I snapped.

"Annabeth-" Piper started, and I sighed. "I'm going to see Mr Brunner to see if he'll let me drop out of the play."

Calypso darted in front of me, her hands held up in a _stop everything _gesture. "Whoa, whoa. You're telling me that you're going to _drop out of the play _in which you got the _lead part _that you were so excited about because of _Percy Jackson_?"

"Yes."

"That's ridiculous," Piper protested. "Annabeth, you worked so hard for this!"

"I am _not _going to work with, act with or _lock lips _with that asshole!" I nearly shrieked. "I do not want to interact with Jackson any more than I have to!"

"Annabeth, do you really want to give him the satisfaction of seeing you drop out of the play?" Piper asked earnestly, eyes trained on my face. "What do you mean?" I asked, stopping abruptly.

"I mean," Piper said slowly, "that he probably isn't thrilled that he has to work with you either. And I bet he's trying to get you to leave by provoking you. If you drop out, you're giving him that satisfaction. If you really want to get back at Percy, you need to do so by proving to him that he doesn't get to you. Whatever he does, you should show him that he doesn't bother you."

"Pipes, I don't know what delusion you're under but if you remember this is Percy Jackson we're talking about. His _job _is to bother me."

"And you're letting him!" Piper cried in exasperation.

"That's because she can't do it," Calypso, who had remained silent up to this point, broke in. My eyes narrowed at the smug expression on Calypso's face. "What _exactly _are you trying to say?" I asked icily.

Her smugness didn't waver a bit.

"Because you're always so used to having a solution for everything. You don't know how to deal with Jackson and because of that, you get frustrated by him. Am I right, Annabeth?"

"What-I-that's the most _ridiculous _thing I ever heard!" I spluttered incredulously. "We hate each other, simple as that!"

Callie looked at me with a knowing smirk on her face. "Speak for yourself, Annabeth. I can guarantee that you won't be able to survive a whole six months of working with Jackson."

"Is that a challenge?" I asked, glaring at my friend.

Calypso rolled her eyes. "You won't be able to do it, anyway."

If there was one thing I hated, it was to be treated like I couldn't do something before I was even given the chance. "That's what you think," I smirked. "But I can bet that I _will_."

"Alright then," Calypso shrugged, a gleam in her eyes. "I challenge you not to drop out of the play and survive working with Percy Jackson until the very end."

Callie had thrown down the gauntlet, and I wasn't going to leave it there. I crossed my arms and stared right back at her. "I accept your challenge."

Turning on my heel, I headed for homeroom. If I had seen Calypso and Piper exchanging high-fives behind me, perhaps I would have changed my mind and backed out of the play then and there, my pride be damned.

Unfortunately I didn't, my mind too focused on the fact that I had just agreed to co-star with my archenemy.

And that is how the whole mess started.

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><p><em>So, how did I do? <em>

_Please tell me you want me to continue, I love this story too much to give it up already! I have a rough outline in my head of how it's going to work out so there's no danger of me abandoning it for the foreseeable future. _

_I have already pre-written a few chapters, so the next chapter should be up soon if you guys want me to go one with the story. _

_Till next time! _


	3. Chapter 2

_Hey guys! I can't believe I already got 9 favourites, four follows and three reviews! _

_Pandadada: I want the Percabeth parts too, dude. But it's gotta build, ya know? It has to be natural, and so I'm not going to rush it. _

_Pastelhellhound: I started smiling so much when I saw what you wrote. Thanks! _

_IamElizaBennet: I hope you love this chapter too! _

_Happy reading! _

_Disclaimer: As much as I want to say otherwise, I don't own Percy Jackson and the Olympians._

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><p><strong>A Ghost from the Past<strong>

"So let me get this straight," Thalia said incredulously. "_You_, Miss-I-hate-Percy-Jackson-with-all-my-soul, are going to act in a play with him. A play where you have to _kiss _him. More than once."

"Yes," I said flatly, staring at the board like it would save me from the nightmare I found myself in.

"Kiss _on the lips_. As in, your lips have to physically touch each other-"

"I know what a kiss is!" I snapped. "I'm going to be fine, Thalia! I know what I'm getting myself into."

"Oh, really?" Thalia asked disbelievingly.

"Yes, really."

"Mm-hmm."

That was when Mrs Dodds entered and thankfully, Thalia kept mum about the issue. I knew she wasn't going to let it go as easy as that though, and sure enough I got a note halfway through the lesson.

_So, you and Seaweed Brain are going to be practising now? Will I walk in on your passionate make-out sessions anytime soon?_

**Thalia, shut up. **

_Technically, I wasn't saying anything._

**Gods, you're infuriating.**

_Aww…thanks Annabeth!_

**It wasn't a compliment.**

_I'm taking it as one. Do you have a problem with that? _

**Yes.**

_Why?_

**Because you're pissing the hell out of me. **

_Actually, no one can piss the hell out of anyone, so your comment doesn't even make sense. Shouldn't you know that, Miss Honour Student?_

**I'm not even going to bother replying to that one. **

_You just did. _

**Good bloody lord, Thalia, I'm having the worst morning of my entire life. I do not need this right now, okay? **

_Hey, relax! I was just trying to lighten the mood. I know my cousin is a first-class jerk but all you have to do is ignore him and you'll get along fine, I promise. _

**What about his little posse of fan-girls? Do you think ****_they're _****going to be happy about me hanging out with their "hero"? **

_They're all air-headed bitches, anyway. Who gives a damn about them? _

**I don't but Drew is going to be a complete pain in the ass. And I can bet you anything they're going to turn up for rehearsal. **

_How? No one is allowed to enter the theatre during rehearsals, right? _

**Drew is on the drama society committee, remember? She's allowed to bring a few friends to see ****_one_**** rehearsal and with luck like mine, they'll come for the one where I have to-ugh-kiss Jackson. **

_Annabeth? _

**Yeah?**

_You're totally screwed. _

**Thanks for that vote of confidence, Thalia. **

_Hey, I'm just stating the facts. Wait, who's directing the play? _

**Mr Brunner, along with one of the senior girls. Zoe Nightshade, I think. **

_Oh, I know Zoe. If anyone can take Drew down a few notches, she can. And she really doesn't like guys, so she'll probably be on your side. Calypso and Piper will be there with you and you know Rachel's doing the scenery so you won't be alone. _

**I know. But I don't want to kiss Jackson!**

_I think most girls here would kill you for saying that, Annabeth. _

**They can happily switch places with me and make out with him hundred times a day if they want. Honestly, doesn't anyone know we hate each other? Why would I possibly be happy about kissing him? **

_Prepare yourself. You'll probably be bombarded with questions about how it was like to kiss THE Percy Jackson. _

**If anyone even ****_dares _****to ask that, I'll-**

The piece of paper was swiped from me, and I looked up in horror at the looming figure of Mrs Dodds, a smirk upon her face. "Why honey," she smiled sweetly, "if you have so much to say, you must share it with the class."

"Mr Jackson," she announced, sweeping to the front of the class like an overgrown bat in heels, "read this aloud, please. Every single bit of it."

Was it just me, or did Percy hesitate before reaching out to retrieve the paper?

It must have been me, I realized, as Percy reached out to get the paper-and then passed it to Nico di Angelo, who was sitting behind him. "I'd prefer not to, Mrs Dodds," he drawled lazily. "You see, reading anything Chase writes is like reading a dictionary."

There was a burst of laughter, and I sent a death glare in his direction. Stupid, snarky idiot.

Nico shot me an apologetic glance and stood up to read the paper before Mrs Dodds could start scolding Percy.

_"__So, you and Seaweed Brain are going to be practising now? Will I walk in on your passionate make-out sessions anytime soon?"_

Everyone started laughing as I put my head on my arms to cover my bright red cheeks. The moment this was over, I was going to kill Mrs Dodds. And then I was going to kill Thalia, and after that, I was going to kill myself.

_"__Thalia, shut up."_

_"__Technically, I wasn't saying anything."_

There were a few snorts.

_"__Gods, you're infuriating."_

_"__Aww…thanks Annabeth!"_

_"__It wasn't a compliment."_

_"__I'm taking it as one. Do you have a problem with that?" _

_"__Yes."_

_"__Why?"_

_"__Because you're pissing the hell out of me."_

_"__Actually, no one can piss the hell out of anyone, so your comment doesn't even make sense. Shouldn't you know that, Miss Honour Student?"_

_"__I'm not even going to bother replying to that one." _

_"__You just did." _

I could see that Nico was trying not to laugh as he kept reading. That was one reason I could get along with Nico rather than the other popular boys. At least _he _didn't think he was God's gift to the world.

_"__Good bloody lord, Thalia, I'm having the worst morning of my entire life. I do not need this right now, okay?" _

_"__Hey, relax! I was just trying to lighten the mood. I know my cousin is a first-class jerk but all you have to do is ignore him and you'll get along fine, I promise." _

_ "__What about his little posse of fan-girls? Do you think they're going to be happy about me hanging out with their "hero"?" _

_"__They're all air-headed bitches, anyway. Who gives a damn about them?" _

There was a chorus of gasps and whispers broke out all over the place like little hissing fires. I groaned.

Said air-headed bitches do anything for revenge.

_"__I don't but Drew is going to be a complete pain in the ass. And I can bet you anything they're going to turn up for rehearsal." _

Thank the gods Drew wasn't in this class, but I was pretty sure one of her lackeys would rush off as soon as Advanced Math was over to let the Beauty Queen Bitch know.

_"__How? No one is allowed to enter the theatre during rehearsals, right?" _

_"__Drew is on the drama society, remember? She's allowed to bring a few friends to see one rehearsal and with luck like mine, they'll come for the one where I have to-ugh-kiss Jackson." _

There was a chorus of whoops and wolf-whistles. I looked up defiantly, staring anywhere but at Percy Jackson.

_"__Annabeth? _

_"__Yeah?"_

_"__You're totally screwed." _

_"__Thanks for that vote of confidence, Thalia." _

_"__Hey, I'm just stating the facts. Wait, who's directing the play?" _

_"__Mr Brunner, along with one of the senior girls. Zoe Nightshade, I think." _

_"__Oh, I know Zoe. If anyone can take Drew down a few notches, she can. And she really doesn't like guys, so she'll probably be on your side. And Calypso and Piper will be there with you. And you know Rachel's doing the scenery so you won't be alone there." _

_"__I know. But I don't want to kiss Jackson!"_

You would have thought I said I wanted to kill him instead, the silence that had fallen over the classroom. The girls shot glares at me, several of them turning around to whisper to their equally Percy-Jackson-infatuated friends.

I saw Mrs Dodds lips twitch. Was the old hag actually _enjoying _my misery?

Bloody bitch.

_"__I think most girls here would kill you for saying that, Annabeth." _

_"__They can happily switch places with me and make out with him hundred times a day if they want. Honestly, doesn't anyone know we hate each other? Why would I possibly be happy about kissing him?" _

Unwillingly, my eyes landed on Percy. To my surprise, his expression wasn't mocking or smirking. He looked perfectly serious, green eyes intent on mine. I stared at him, puzzled, for a long moment before realizing what I was doing and breaking eye contact.

What the hell was he doing?

_ "__Prepare yourself. You'll probably be bombarded with questions about how it was like to kiss THE Percy Jackson." _

_"__If anyone even dares to ask that, I'll-"_

Nico looked up, and I felt bad for the guy. It was bad enough to read a note written by someone else, but to read a note dissing your best friend… that was harsh.

Not to mention, really embarrassing.

"Detention, Miss Chase, Miss Grace," Mrs Dodds barked out. "Report to my office today after school."

Thalia waited until Mrs Dodds' back was turned and then gave her the finger. I stifled a laugh.

"Now as I was saying -" Mrs Dodds began, turning back to the board.

And the whole class fell back into its previous state of boredom.

* * *

><p>Rachel banged her tray down on the table, and I looked up at her in surprise. Rachel was hardly ever in a bad temper but when she was, boy did she let the whole world know.<p>

"What's the matter with you?" I asked, and Rachel trained her piercing green eyes on me. "You should know, shouldn't you?" she snapped, shooting me a death glare. I exchanged looks with Piper and Thalia, who were sitting opposite me. They looked just as confused as I was.

"Rachel, what did I do?"

"You never told me you were dating Percy Jackson!"

I nearly choked on my sandwich. "I'm _what?_"

"Oh don't try to play innocent," Rachel scoffed, opening up her apple juice packet. Rise or shine, Rachel couldn't live without her daily apple juice-something that I had learned the hard way.

"I am NOT dating him!" I hissed furiously. "Honestly, Rachel! Who did you hear that from?"

"Silena Beauregard," Rachel told me. "And she's in your Advanced Math class, isn't she? She said that you wrote Thalia a note about kissing Percy-"

"A note about how I was _dreading _kissing him!" I spat. "Didn't tell you that part, did she?"

Rachel looked abashed now. "I'm sorry, Annabeth. I just thought, well, you know she sounded so absolutely certain and – "

"And you just believed her?"

"Well, I thought – look Annabeth, I'm sorry! I know you'd never do that!"

"You better remember that next time, Rach," I huffed, but my anger was already abating. It was impossible to stay mad at Rachel Elizabeth Dare.

Rachel sighed. "Thank the gods. You know, when I first heard it, I thought for a minute that I was going to have to drag you off somewhere and knock some sense into you."

Piper snorted. "As if Annabeth would ever be the one to have a crush on Percy. Out of the four of us, she's probably the least likely to fall for his charms."

Rachel's eyes narrowed in disdain. "Speak of the devil and he shall appear. Mr Player is here…with Drew on his arm."

"When is she ever not?" Piper rolled her eyes. "Stuck to his side like she's been glued there permanently…but they're made for each other don't you think? They're both idiots."

"Especially my cousin," Thalia said, biting into her sandwich.

It was times like these that I loved my friends; even if they did trick me in the morning into working with Percy Jackson for a full six months. "Guess what I just heard!" Calypso had arrived, flinging her bag down on the seat next to Piper and looking at us with excited almond eyes.

"What?" Rachel asked.

"Apparently…" Calypso drew out the words, obviously relishing the suspense. "We're getting a new English teacher!"

"Yes!" Thalia pumped her fist in the air. "We're finally getting rid of Miss Robinson! How did it happen? Where did you hear it?"

"I ran into Bianca on the way here," Calypso told us eagerly. "Apparently, Miss Robinson left to go take care of her sister who's ill, and she's taking over for the year."

"I wouldn't mind if she takes over until we leave this place," Thalia sighed. "But I'll take a year."

"What's she like?" I asked, my curiosity piqued.

"According to Bianca, she's rather strict but teaches well and her lessons are interesting. She's actually a professor at NYU but she came in for Miss Robinson as a personal favour."

"We have English next, don't we?" Calypso asked excitedly. "That's great! We can see what she's like."

* * *

><p>The class went quiet the moment we heard the click-clack of heels down the hallway. There was always a routine procedure to be followed when a new teacher arrived. The first lesson, the whole class would be polite and well-behaved. It was a time to see what the new teacher was like; would she be easily fooled? Were her punishments harsh? Was she lenient or strict?<p>

Depending on the results, the next class would either be complete pandemonium (should the teacher be lenient) or very disciplined (if she was strict).

She walked into class briskly, carrying a no-nonsense air around her. From my position near the back I couldn't see her face. From the little I could glean, she looked very professional and neat; wearing long black pants, and a dark grey blouse.

Then she turned and my breath caught in my throat.

I knew her.

I saw a picture of her every single day, the only one I had. I gazed it at every night before I went to bed. At that very moment, it was buried under my pillow.

A picture of Athena.

My mother.

* * *

><p><em>Dun dun dun dun…<em>

_Well, what could possibly happen next? Chapter Three is also pre-written so once I see that you guys loved this chapter and want more, it should be up! _

_Hope you enjoyed this one, and tell me what you thought, even if it is just criticism. Flames will be thoroughly ignored. _

_Till next time! _


	4. Chapter 3

_I'm listening to 'A Rumour in St. Petersburg' right now. _

_In case anyone didn't figure it out, the play our favourite characters are acting in is Anastasia, based on the Disney movie. Anastasia was always one of my favourite movies and I can just imagine Percy as Dimitri and Annabeth as Anastasia, regardless of the hair colour difference. _

_Happy reading! _

_Disclaimer: *sigh* At this point, if you think I'm Rick Riordan then there's something really wrong with you. _

**Worst Day in History**

"Annabeth Chase."

My mother's unfathomable grey eyes – the exact same colour of mine – were perfectly calm and confident. She sounded like she was reading the name of any other student in her class; not the name of the daughter who thought she was dead for _eleven years. _

It was one of the first questions I had ever asked my father. I was six years old, and my father had just married Sara. It had suddenly struck me then; I was someone else's daughter. I had a real biological mother.

My father had told me, in a gentler voice than I had ever heard him use, that Athena was dead.

At six, I couldn't fully understand the concept of death. This much was clear: my mother was gone and she wasn't going to come back. I didn't cry for her then; it wasn't possible to cry for someone you never knew.

A few years later, I found a picture of her. It was an old picture, one of my father and her when they were both 18 years old. They were laughing and looking into each other's eyes, arms around each other. They looked so happy, like they were truly in love.

She looked so beautiful; her dark hair blowing all over her face and grey eyes clear and penetrating. It was then, when I was eleven, that I asked my father again and he told me the full truth.

They had fallen in love when she was eighteen and just a year later, she had given birth to me. A few months after my birth, Athena had died in a car accident.

My father didn't tell me anything else and I didn't press for answers. It was that day, looking up at the skylight above my bed, that I cried for the mother who had been taken from me. From that day onwards, I kept the picture under my pillow. It was a treasured possession.

And now, I was staring into those very same eyes I had only seen before on paper.

"Annabeth?" I felt a sharp jolt in my side. It was Rachel, staring at me with a puzzled look. "What's wrong with you?" she asked. "Didn't you hear Miss Athena calling attendance? I had to answer for you; you looked like you zoned out completely and – oh gods, you're completely pale! Annabeth, do you need to see the nurse or something?"

"I-I'm fine."

Rachel didn't look convinced. "Yeah…I don't think so. You look like you just saw a ghost."

_How apt, _I wanted to say. Instead, I drew on all my acting capabilities and gave a very forced-sounding laugh. "Honestly, Rach. Don't be stupid. Didn't I just say I was fine?"

Rachel scrutinised me for a moment longer and then turned back to her seat. "If you say so, Annabeth."

The class started.

Bianca di Angelo had been right; my mother was an excellent teacher. She wasn't monotonous like our previous English teacher had been; she forced us to think for ourselves instead of giving us the answers and encouraged us to participate in debates and discussions. She kept the interest of the class, and no one dared to disrupt the lesson.

Finally, when there was five minutes left to the end, she made an announcement.

"I have assigned you a project for our topic of creative writing this term. It will count for 50% of your grade and you will be working in pairs. I have already picked the pairs, and there will be absolutely _no _changing."

As always, there were groans at this. When a teacher picked pairs, it was a guarantee that the person you ended up with would be someone you barely knew. It was their fun idea of getting us to 'know each other better'.

Grover Underwood raised a hand. "What will the project be about, Miss Athena?"

"I understand that at Goode it is standard to have you write an essay on a specific topic but I am not going to do that. I feel constricting you defeats the purpose of creative writing. Hence, you will be writing a story about your partner. He or she will star as the protagonist, and the story can be about anything you wish. I will, of course, not entertain submissions that are obscene, graphic, or otherwise unsuitable."

Athena started reading out pairs. I kept my head down, although I heard Rachel's groan when she was assigned to Octavian. I didn't blame her. The guy was a complete jerk.

And then, I heard my name.

"Annabeth Chase and Percy Jackson."

_Annabeth Chase and Percy Jackson. _

"No!" The word burst from both our mouths simultaneously, and I was standing up, my hands clenched into fists. I had already been cast as his love interest and I was _not _going to work with him on a project for the rest of the term!

Athena arched an eyebrow. "Is there a problem?"

"Yes!" I blurted, forgetting for the minute that I was talking to my supposedly dead mother. "I can't work with him!"

My mother looked at me carefully, and then sighed. "Very well."

She turned to walk back to her desk, and I nearly breathed a sigh of relief before I heard her next words. "I shall have to fail the both of you, then."

"What?" I asked, horrified. I had never failed in my life, regardless of my learning disabilities. "But I-"

She cut me off. "And I shall also have to call and notify your parents. You do understand that getting a zero for this project means that you will fail the whole subject?"

"And why do you have to call our parents?" Percy suddenly asked, coming to stand beside me. I was surprised: he actually sounded tensed, like he really cared what happened to our grade.

"It is school policy to notify parents if a student has failed in any subject. It is so that the student can get help for whatever problem he might be facing. Some students may not be getting the grasp of the subject and in this case, the school will be able to provide tutors for them."

"We'll do it," Percy burst out, beside me.

I heard muffled gasps and whispers breaking out. In no time flat, this would spread across the whole school – already buzzing with the news that Goode's bad boy and good girl were going to be an on-stage couple.

I wanted to grab the nearest book and whack myself on the head with it. _How _had this become my life?

It figured that only someone with my karma would have luck as bad as this. The Powers-That-Be were probably having a good laugh.

Athena smiled slightly. "Good. I expect excellent work from the both of you."

In one swift move, she collected her books and swept out the door. "Class dismissed."

As everyone rushed to pack their bags and leave, I stood like a statue, my mouth still hanging open and my fists clenched at my sides. "Annabeth?" Calypso came up to me, carrying my books in one hand. Rachel was behind her, looking worried. "You okay?"

Murmuring a word of thanks, I grabbed my books and swept out of the class to find Percy leaning against the wall chatting up Drew. Good god, this just couldn't get any worse, could it?

Drew would be absolutely _livid _now, especially after she found out I snagged the lead role that she so desperately wanted to get.

Taking a deep breath, I went over.

"What was that?" I demanded, not even caring that I was interrupting their conversation.

"Annabeth hun," Drew spat acidly. "Didn't anyone ever teach you that it's rude to interrupt?"

I ignored her.

Percy looked at me, annoyed. "What was what?"

"Back there, in English," I snapped. "I don't know if you realize, but us working together is like setting a match to petroleum."

Percy rolled his eyes. "Didn't you hear what she said? Do you _want _to fail this class?"

"Of course not!"

"Then what the _bloody hell _is your problem?"

"My problem is that I'm working with _you!_"

"Oh, that's rich coming from you."

"And what exactly do you mean by that?"

"Please, I think we all know I got the worse end of the deal by having to work with _you._"

"Listen, you – "

"Annabeth."

It was Athena. Her eyes bored into me, like she was trying to see into my soul. I clutched my books tighter to my chest, feeling especially vulnerable under her X-Ray gaze. "Yes, Miss Athena?" I asked politely, remembering that she was a teacher.

"Come with me, please." Without waiting for an answer, she turned and walked off.

I slashed my finger across my throat at Percy, the universal sign for _you're dead. _

Him being the cocky jerk that he is, gave me a wink and went right back to chatting up Drew.

I followed my mother, already wanting to just go back home and jump into my bed.

This was most definitely the worst day in history.

I followed my mother into her office, where she placed her books on the desk and gestured for me to have a seat. She sat down on the other side of the desk, looking at me with a searching gaze. "Do you know who I am, Annabeth?"

"You're my mother," I blurted.

She nodded, as if she had expected nothing less. "Yes. Now, what did Frederick tell you about me?"

"He said you were dead!" I exclaimed, suddenly feeling very angry. "But since you clearly aren't, he lied to me!"

"That's what he always does," Athena looked unconcerned. "Now, I suppose you want to know the full truth. Am I right?"

"Yes."

"Very well. I left."

That made no sense to me. "What-what do you mean you left?" I stammered, my world spinning out of control.

Athena sighed. "A few months after you were born," she said, "I left. I was only 19, Annabeth. I wasn't ready to be a mother. I couldn't take care of you. I left and went back to college."

"Y-you didn't want me?" I asked blindly, feeling my eyes start to sting. I understood why my father had lied to me – although that didn't excuse him. In a way, it hurt less to know that my mother had died rather than know that she had willingly abandoned me.

What kind of parent would do that?

My question seemed to fluster Athena slightly. "It wasn't that I didn't want you, Annabeth. I just wasn't ready. I-I was young. I made a mistake."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. "You're saying that I'm a mistake?"

There was a cold, hard ache inside my chest, something that made me want to curl up into a little ball and sob until the pain went away. _My own mother thought I was a mistake. _

That explained my dad's indifference towards me. I was a reminder of the girl who had abandoned him, leaving him to look after his daughter all by himself. That was why he couldn't stand to look me in the eye – the same grey eyes as my mother.

I stood up, backing away from the desk. "You're telling me that you _left your own daughter? _You let me think you were _dead!_"

Athena stood up now. "I didn't know he would tell you that!"

"Eleven years!" the tears gathered at the back of my eyes as I tried to keep my composure. "Eleven years and you never once bothered to contact me, or ask how I was…"

"I thought it would be for the better," Athena explained. "A clean break. I was just as shocked as you to find out that you were a student here."

"So if I hadn't been here, you would have left me to think that you were dead for the rest of my life?"

Athena said nothing, but her silence was her answer.

I took a shaky breath as I backed away from her, my fingers fumbling for the doorknob. "I almost wish you _were _dead," I spat, wanting to say something to hurt her just as her callous words had lodged in my heart like a glass shard. "At least it would have been the truth."

And with that, I fled.


End file.
